Dimension of Miracles is a satirical science fiction novel first published by Dell in 1968. It's about Tom Carmody, a New Yorker who, thanks to a computer error, wins the main prize in the Intergalactic Sweepstakes. Tom claims his prize before the error is discovered and is allowed to keep it. However, since Tom is a human from Earth without galactic status and no space traveling experience, he has no homing instinct that can guide him back to Earth once his odyssey begins - and the galactic lottery organizers cannot transport him home.

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Audible Editor Reviews

Editors Select, March 2013 - "With audiobook narration, there are certain voices that fit perfectly with a genre. John Hodgman may now be the go-to guy for the droll-everyman-navigating-his-way-through-the-universe story (already nailing it in 2012’s hilarious Year Zero). Hand-picked by Neil Gaiman (whose charming audio introduction perfectly sets the stage for what’s to come) Hodgman lends the right amount of nerd-cred to this adventure, which was originally published in 1968 and is a clear forerunner to Douglas Adams’ classic The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I’ve had a chance to hear an advance excerpt of the audio, and I just have to know how Carmody, the unsuspecting winner of a Galactic Lottery, makes his way back to Earth in one piece." Chris, Audible Editor

Publisher's Summary

Audie Award Finalist, Solo Narration - Male, 2014

Award-winning author, narrator, and screenwriter Neil Gaiman personally selected this book, and, using the tools of the Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX), produced this work for his audiobook label, Neil Gaiman Presents.

A few words from Neil on Dimension of Miracles: "Dimension of Miracles is probably not [Sheckley's] most famous book…. but I think it's probably his best-loved book. It's about the joys and tribulations (mostly the tribulations) of winning the lotterythe galactic lotteryaccidentally. And wrongly. Tom Carmody is awarded a remarkable prize, is taken half way across the universe to collect it, finds himself hopelessly lost, and needs to find his way home again to Earth…to this Earth, not an alternate, weirdo Earth. He's got to get back. And the price is high.

In its style of humorand even in some of the jokesDimension of Miracles is very obviously a precursor of Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Douglas actually hadn't read Dimension of Miracles until very shortly after Hitchhiker came out, when people pointed him to it, and he told me that he found the experience almost shockingit was like reading himself. He was a huge admirer of Bob Sheckley and a huge admirer of this book, and in later life, I had the privilege of introducing both of them.

Now the challenge for me with a book this funny, this strange, this perceptive was to try and find a narrator who was as iconic, somebody who could deliver the goods, somebody who could give you a book like this as it deserved to be given. And the first, and the last, and actually the only person to come to mind was John Hodgman. So I asked John, and he said yes! And he did it; he pulled it off. Listening to Johnnot just the suave, sensible, sane narrator of this book, but all the peculiar accents and incarnations that he is forced to adopt through herehe does it delightfully, he does it brilliantly, he's really, really funny. And so is this book. Enjoy your journey through a Dimension of Miracles."

Dimension of Miracles is a satirical science fiction novel first published by Dell in 1968. It's about Tom Carmody, a New Yorker who, thanks to a computer error, wins the main prize in the Intergalactic Sweepstakes. Tom claims his prize before the error is discovered and is allowed to keep it. However, since Tom is a human from Earth without galactic status and no space traveling experience, he has no homing instinct that can guide him back to Earth once his odyssey begins - and the galactic lottery organizers cannot transport him home. Meanwhile, his removal from Earth has caused a predatory entity to spring into existence - one that pursues and aims to destroy him. Carmody is on the run, and he ends up transporting from Earth to Earth - different phases and realities of the planet, which of course is not the time or condition he expects.

What the Critics Say

"Hodgman, probably best known to geeks for his appearances on The Daily Show and his role as the PC in those Apple commercials a few years back, has a dryly intelligent deadpan that wonderfully counterpoints the absurd adventures of Thomas Carmody, a mid 20th-century New York everyman who’s invited to a galactic center to collect a sweepstakes prize." (Locus)

Wasn't excited about this book, but it came highly recommended. I wasn't a fan of Douglas Adam's (which his Hitchhiker books is what this one is common compared to), so I wasn't excited about this one.

Sheckley, though, excels where Adams doesn't. Where Adam's humor is campy and a bit in-your-face, Sheckley tends to be a bit more reserved. Granted, there's talking dinosaurs and goofy characters, but the humor they have is a bit smarter and enjoyable. Hodgman is the perfect narrator as he brings to life the characters beautifully.

All in all, it was better than I had expected. It's not without it's dry parts or various minor plot holes...but they are fairly short and minor and don't weigh down the reader much.

If you could sum up Dimension of Miracles in three words, what would they be?

Genius. Hilarious. Perfect.

What other book might you compare Dimension of Miracles to and why?

As I said in my title, this book is the Hitchhiker's Guide's precursor. I can't imagine what Douglas Adams must have been thinking and feeling while he was reading this for the first time, apparently after Hitchhiker's had been published. They share so much of the dry, irreverent, metaphysical humor that it is hard to believe that Adams had never read Dimensions before. If you like Hitchhiker's Guide at all, GET THIS BOOK!

What about John Hodgman’s performance did you like?

Absolutely everything. Neil Gaiman hit the nail square on the head when he asked John Hodgman to narrate this book.

Any additional comments?

I loved this book. I found it to be funny and witty and thought provoking. The story was suburb and the characters were charming and well rounded. I started listening to it again as soon as I finished it the first time and I plan on getting any and all other Robert Sheckley books that Audible has to offer.

I thought this short novel was fantastic. The plot is quite thin and easy to grasp: Tom Carmody, an Earthling, mistakenly receives a prize in the Intergalactic Sweepstakes. Having been teleported to a far-off planet, he is left stranded with little knowledge of how to return. He then travels from planet to planet, and from dimension to dimension, in search of home.

Along the way, he encounters a strange City, one of my favorite parts. It seems uninhabited, until the City itself begins to speak and interact with Carmody. It explains that it was built to facilitate health and comfort in the lives of its citizens. Carmody wonders why no one currently lives in the City, but he accepts the comfort that it provides him; or, rather, that it insists upon him. And though the City may have good intentions, Carmody soon finds that its nagging perfectionism and constant "suggestions" are overwhelmingly annoying.

Carmody eventually refuses to listen to the City. He understands that, for example, the costs of smoking a cigarette far outweigh the benefits; but there comes a point where Carmody's ability to make a choice becomes more important to him than the effects of the choices he makes. The intelligent City reveals something beautifully complex about people: even with clear evidence that a certain choice is the most correct or logical, a person is driven to maintain a sense that their choice (whatever it may be) is possibly the right one, even if it is quite apparently wrong.

Absurd yet enlightening moments like this make Dimension of Miracles an engaging and fulfilling listen. Narrator John Hodgman does a fantastic job as well. He gives a relatable exasperation to the main character and an ironic realism to all of the extraterrestrials he meets. It's quick, it's funny, and it really caught my ear.

It's hard to believe that this was written before Hitchhiker's Guide. All of the tropes that we ascribe to Adams are here. The weary time traveler, the morose robot, the finicky planet builder (Oh Slartybartfast!), and the cynical humor that leaves you chuckling after the book is over. It's a gem and I'm glad that Gaiman added it to his collection. Hodgman's narration is the icing on the cake.

I picked this up when I had some cash on my account that was about to expire. It caught my attention, because it was one of the Neil Gaiman Presents selections. I really like Gaiman’s work and I figured I would probably also like a book that he recommends. I was right.

Dimension of Miracles was amusing, witty, and well-written. In many ways, it was like Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, only it came first. It begins when Tom Carmody is whisked away from his New York apartment upon accidentally winning the galactic lottery. In his exploits thereafter, he meets a number of strange characters on several interesting worlds as he attempts to return to Earth.

My favorite part was probably when Tom was transported to Earth during the dinosaur age and proceeds to have a very charming conversation with a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

John Hodgman was an excellent choice to narrate this novel. I thought his tone perfectly embodied the author’s dry wit.

Overall, the novel was quite enjoyable. The story was light and amusing, but still had some deeper points as well. It won’t go down as my all-time favorite, but it was still a fun read that I would recommend to anyone looking for a comedic sci-fi story.

In his preface Neil tells us that Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker et al) only read Robert Sheckley after Guide to the Galaxy was published. They have very similar voices in regards to their ideas, playfulness, humour and sheer imagination. Very very similar. One suspect that Sheckley did not get the honour that is his due.

I wonderful romp with the sub-text not that sub and the humour bubbling continuously. Really enjoyable.

On listening to this book I was struck (as many have been) by the echoes of Douglas Adams' 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' - but I knew this book had pre-dated that. In fact on further research I discovered Adams hadn't read this book, and was shocked when he did at how similar it was.

I say this as a recommendation - if you liked the slightly anarchical & surreal humour of one, you'll love the other.

John Hodgman is a great choice for the narrator too - less well known to UK audiences perhaps, but he inhabits the characters well, and seems to offer the 'baffled everyman' perspective that the lead character exhibits throughout.

Highly recommended!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Amazon Customer

Ireland

11/19/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Wonderfully HHGTTG."

What made the experience of listening to Dimension of Miracles the most enjoyable?

I love quirky sci fi!

What did you like best about this story?

The humour and the narration

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me laugh

Any additional comments?

Can't believe Douglas Adams was only introduced to this story years after he wrote the Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy. If you like the HHGTTG series (a trilogy of 5 books) you'll love this too.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Mendo Shutaro

Leamington

8/17/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"A muddled, mediocre story, read well by Hodgeman."

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

If you're a big fan of the randomness and lack of structure of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books, then you may get something out of this.

What will your next listen be?

I generally listen to history books, and am currently listening to An Utterly Impartial History of Britain by John O'Farrell.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

It started well enough, as did Hitchhiker's.

What character would you cut from Dimension of Miracles?

Pretty much all of them, as none of them made any sense.

Any additional comments?

To me this book, like Douglas Adams' famous series, is essentially what happens when you write a book without any idea where it will end up. What follows is a series of increasingly bizarre sequences, some of which are mildly amusing, but most are just odd and random.There's little story arc here, which to me makes the book just feel rather pointless.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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